FluffyChix

*drool* (so much drool)...just sayin'...

@Brent701 I'm sorry the last part of the "so called honeymoon" period has been stressful to you. Think back on WHY this is. My theory: In the first 6 months you were gung-ho and super compliant about your diet, and the weight was falling off you and the scale was MOVING. Fast forward to the last 6 months: We ALL begin experimenting with the things that got us MO in the first place. Weight loss slows to a crawl. The scale is NOT moving much and can move up. It isn't offering the motivational reward of seeing the constant down tick. The cravings increase as dietary latitude increases. Diet fatigue sets in. Life begins again for many of us cuz we feel so much butter. And we lose focus of the end goal. That is the end of the honeymoon period. But it doesn't have to be. The honeymoon ends when WE say it ends by what we put in our mouths and how much we put in our mouths. Any one of us 18+ months out can STILL lose weight--all the weight we CHOOSE to lose. It's not some magic bell you ring...welp, your 18 months are up kid, sorry, you didn't finish. Wah. Wah. Wahhhhhh. Nope. Weight loss can and WILL continue as long as you are focusing on your food plan and working it. And doing the physical side of it too. I know that's a dirty word for you.

Girl, I know it's how you FEEL that's important, but looking on, your figure is knockout and that outfit is gorgeous! I see no belly bloat. Congrats girlie!

For those who find straight protein drinks gag-worthy too sweet try these hacks: 1. Combine in varying strengths with FF Fairlife Milk. 2. Combine in varying strengths with decaff coffee and decaff tea. 3. Mix with Greek yogurt. 4. Mix with cottage cheese. 5. Mix with instant pudding to make protein pudding. 6. Mix with hot unsweetened cocoa in water or Fairlife milk and use the protein drink as the sweetener element. 7. Mix protein drinks with egg whites and bake in a water bath to make custards. Hope that helps.

Yay! Love Hubs! Keep him. Is that pic from today?

I hear ya on messing with your head!!! I love @ms.sss 14 day average! It definitely takes more pressure off of the up-ticks. But I also think that moving average has more "weight" to it. Right? Better accuracy to see the overall trend line. Cuz during WLM and into MM, that's what I always have looked for. I wanted to either see a downward trend line in WLM or a flat trend line in MM-despite the stairstep jaggies. And the salad was amazeballs! It's power slaw from HEB, but think there are name brands doing it: shaved brussels sprouts, kohlrabi, baby kale, arugula, broccoli slaw, and so much more. I'm gonna have it again today since it was so good and open a pack of tuna with it. And don't laugh, but I love the Sesame Ginger Walden Farms and add a drop of sesame oil and a hit of rice wine vinegar for more kick, and extra garlic powder and ginger powder. For practically zero cals.

So I think this is normal...but it might not be normal for you? I would check with my doc and RD, but it kinda sounds like you are deep in ketosis and that's what happens when you are in ketosis. You lose your hunger and are SNAT (semi nauseous all the time) or at least can be--especially if dehydrated and ketones are really high. It's ok to have food apathy. Embrace it. BUT. It's not ok, not to reach protein goals. So somehow, some way you must find a way to get your protein in for the day. Cuz that will mess you up long term. You eat according to a schedule if necessary, just to get your protein in. It's actually a good thing. And you will recognize it as such once you have moved beyond that stage and hunger returns. But talk to your team for sure to make sure there is nothing else going on!!!

So this is just my opinion and I realize I'm an outlier...but see? I think if we DO allow this to bother us, that's a good thing. It keeps us from becoming complacent. And a "MOVING" average is important cuz it really identifies a bigger picture than just an isolated up and down daily zig zag. So it has more weight to it. And I think you are right to want to correct the course now to get your 14 day average down again. I believe this is part of what skinny people do naturally. They see they are up a couple, and they immediately cut back to correct it. Right? Oh and here's a couple pics for ya. Big Ass Asian Slaw: Orange Bitters Blueberry Almond Yogurt with Vanilla Liquid Stevia Orange Bitters Mocha Procaccino with Cinnamon and Cayenne

Congrats on everything, not least of which is your weight falling in your happy window!!! You're down what? 3-4lbs?!!! That's fabulous!! WTG!!

Liquor store. LOL. There are so many bitters! Read the back of the bottle to make sure no carbs. I got Fee Brothers Orange Bitters. I think they also make grapefruit, peach, and so many more. It's expensive for a bottle (around $10?) But you only use 1-2 dashes (about 1/4tsp or less) per time. And then you need liquid stevia drops. I like the vanilla ones. But chocolate would also be awesome!

Welcome and jump right in and start posting a lot!

Haha. Takes 2 minutes. Try the orange bitters and liquid stevia. So DANG good!

Ok, so here's what I do. And this is my new flavah fave these days! Plain Nonfat Fage Greek + Orange Bitters + Liquid Vanilla Stevia (Vanilla flavored) + 14g frozen blueberries (or you can do Walden Farms Blueberry Pancake Syrup OR you can add a small scoop of flavored protein powder or any of the fruit flavored Premier Protein drinks OR you can add about a 1/2 - 1 tsp of sf flavored jello powder. But I'm SOOO digging on the orange bitters. They have other flavored bitters that are zero or close to it carbs. Oh and add some slivered almonds and hemp hearts and chia. DELISH!!!

Wahhhhooooooo!!!! Congrats woman! That's wonderful news!!! You can DO this! You ARE doing this thing!!!

Ok, girlfriend...please call your doctor (s) and RD. I'm really concerned for you. You need a plan to focus on and get you working towards. The lack of sleep causes high insulin, high cortisol, and greater food consumption of the poor choice, high reward kinds which you already recognize. But surely they have something that could help you short term, pull-up short and be able to get back into your groove. Maybe try saxenda until you can press the reboot button?

This is a defining moment in your life. I mean, truly defining. You are making this decision to retake control of the asylum and to take charge of your life. Never forget the WHY of why you have chosen this path. It's a transformative experience, and few transformations happen without some fear or trepidation. But courage is continuing to take action and direct/steer your course in the face of that fear. You can do this. Do it for you. Do it for the kid. The fam. Sure it's scary, but as others have said, this is a very safe surgery. Google four square breathing. Start practicing it. You will put it to good use between now and surgery and potentially after surgery as well. I have zero regrets about mine unless it's that I didn't do it sooner. Hang in there. You can do this.

Ah, but darling. You are labeling what you experience right now as maintenance. But the scale is singing a different tune. The scale still shows you continuing to lose (albeit slower). So you are still in WLM, my love. And if you don't track while still actively losing (with the scale at least), how do you know how many more macros to add so that you actually ARE in maintenance. So we can call a pizza a football, but it's still gonna be a pizza. This is a beautiful thing! And as far as dietary fat goes, I vaguely remember my onc telling me that dietary fat only was linked to TNBC. Being on the thinner side as a cancer patient is where my onc wants all of his patients. He wants them to do whatever it takes to make it happen. He's very upfront about that. So glad you are 10 years out and at zero chance of recurrence! I had less than a 50% chance of 5 year survivor at 3C with the # of pos lymph nodes and the breach of one. But at 8 years, he keeps telling me how my survival rate is improving. I think I'm at 75/25 now? And we hope for 10 years with also the same risk of recurrence as someone who never had BC. (As long as I maintain a normal weight with zero regain.) But I think he's gonna want me on letrozole for life. He keeps some of his patients on it for life, especially if they had a buttload of nodes positive and still active at surgery.

Is this on her doctor's plan? Cuz she's only 1 week out. That's a pretty tricky time.

First off. You are not LITERALLY dying. You are experiencing head hunger. Tell yourself that and name the reality. Do not let your head dictate and reinforce a lie. It is HARD. Dealing with the head hunger was one of the worst parts about recovery and the process. But please, it is very important to follow your doctor's and RD's progression plan. No you CAN'T have any of the things you mentioned--unless maybe you want to put and emergency call into your doc and ask for his or her permission to progress your diet as you are suggesting. It's a short, temporary stage. Work your plan and your plan will work for you. This is the time to take advantage of it. What stage are you in? If I read this correctly you are in Stage 2: Full liquids? Here are suggestions for full liquids: 1. Creamed soups made with Fairlife Milk, spice them up with garlic powder, or your favorite spice. Make sure to strain out any lumps. Eat it slowly. (You can add protein powder to it - unsweetened, while it is cool and get the clumps out, then gently heat to no more than 140degrees to prevent protein coagulation = lumps. 2. Make Greek yogurt, plain unsweetened, and sweeten with your favorite drops with zero cals. Thin them out with Premier Protein or with Fairlife Milk until it is a cream soup consistency. Or get sugar free fat free Kefir and thin it out to cream soup consistency. Eat it slowly. 3. Use broth and doctor it up with unflavored protein powder + flavorings: Pizza = Broth + 1-2 tbsp low sugar, low cal, low carb marinara (strain it before eating) Mexican Tortilla = Broth + 1-2 tbsp mild enchilada sauce or Taco Bell Mild Sauce + garlic + cumin Asian (Pho) = Broth + 1-2 tbsp Walden Farms Asian or Sesame Ginger + Chinese Five Spice Powder + granulated garlic + a couple drops sesame oil 4. Eat a sugar free popsicle 5. Eat a sugar free jello Drink your water and concentrate on getting 100% of your water in! When hungry or head hunger hits, drink a glass of water slowly as you're instructed for your stage, and get up and walk. Then get creative by coloring or doing something that occupies your mind and your hands. Do four square breathing (google it). Get outside if weather permits. Talk to your family or a friend or get busy posting here. Quit watching TV commercials and break up with FoodTV and food channels. You can do this. It's only 1 more week. You have this. Maximize this opportunity. No one every regrets maximizing their success.

So excited, can't wait to try this! Will make them this week and let you know!! Woot!

I don't bread. I just dry them really well. Sometimes I put them on a rack in the fridge and let them air dry for a day. Then season and air fry. So dang good!

What does your therapist say about your present diet and physique? I think I would put my trust in them? Also, we've talked about this, that weight loss will not automatically, magically cease if we continue to eat at an extreme deficit. Right? And the beauty and the curse of IF is that on IF days it does exactly as it's designed to do: limit consumption both for timeframe, but also for overall volume. So it is a weight loss tool. I still use it successfully, cuz it takes so little for me to maintain and I'd at least like to have 2 days + 1 meal where I can eat relatively freely (1200-1600 cals) even if it means I have 4 days + 2 meals at 700-850 cals, rather than eating 7 days at 1000-1100 cals. It works for me cuz I'm not heavily exercising, nor am I actively trying to stack or put on muscle--although I really should. And I think the quality of the diet is way more important that high carb v. low carb. I average about 50-60g of whole carbs per day, but they are almost completely comprised of veggies, some dark berries and Granny Smith apple, some low fat dairy, some eggs, some nuts/seeds/nutbutters, pysllium fiber and oat fiber and some other fibers on occassion (coconut flour, etc). It seems restrictive by some people's standards but it is simply-after 20 years-the way I eat. I feel tremendous diet satisfaction from it. Some days are higher fats, some days are lower fats, they are always a pretty consistent protein amount within a range. I see multiple doctors with a passle of tests and bloodwork every six months thanks to the cancer remission and I take imaging tests quite frequently also because of this. The test results reassure me and my oncologist, internist, cardiologist, pulmonologist, and gastro guy, that despite the fact that I'm NOT 100% perfect at this low carb, lower fat style of eating, I have not managed to contract any of the deadly maladies the NIH article hints at in that abstract. I'm frankly shocked and surprised I still have either of my kidneys after 20 years of my "unhealthy" and dangerous low carb diet that is comprised of over 1lb of veggies per day (many of them raw), along with only the adequate amount of lean, dense protein, and healthy fats from great sources: avocado, olives, nuts/seeds/limited nut butters, and low fat dairy. And I'm shocked at my lack of osteoporosis, absence of cardiac arrhythmia or contractile function, shocked that my cholesterol and lipid profile is perfect, shocked that haven't grown three heads, etc...but then, I'm just an imperfect n=1 who can ONLY speak for the routine I follow and it's success. The great thing, I am happiest about is that most people are successfully losing their excess weight to a level comfortable for themselves, regardless of my opinion of how they are doing it. The good news is that everyone else being unique is free and encouraged to follow what they know to be true and what works for them without judgement. Hurrah for free choice!!

Yes it's important to eat healthy IMHO. I truly believe that net outcome = personal attention to a focused nutrient dense diet + adherance/compliance to the doc's and RD's plan for you that includes food + movement + doing the head work + spiritual and community connection.

In the first months, it's all about keeping food really simple and expedient. You will be eating so little that the last thing you want to focus on is cooking and food interaction. So do what needs to be done, simply. I agree with @catwoman7. Use meat lube aka gravies and sauces on the side to dip protein in at first. It helps it go down. I wanted and needed to feel full and feel restriction, so I did choose harder to digest meats (aka dry dense lean protein). But I did use some ready made sauces (low fat, low carb, low sugar, low to no cal). I always had these on hand (frozen in ice cube trays in 1-2oz portions, then put into bags and labeled: Heinz Homestyle Chicken Gravy Heinz Homestyle Beef Gravy Classico Lite Asiago Cream Sauce Central Market Taste of Italy Marinara Light Hollandaise Sauce 99% FF Creamy Poblano Soup 99% FF Cream of Mushroom Soup 99% FF Cream of Chicken Soup Mild Salsa Mild Enchilada Sauce Mild Taco Bell Sauce Then I would just make things like: Foil Wrapped Fish Pan Seared Chicken Breasts Grilled Chicken Breasts Grilled Salmon Ground Turkey Crumbles Jimmy Dean Turkey Sausage Crumbles Jimmy Dean Turkey Sausage Patties HEB Hatch Turkey Burgers (air fry them) Carton Egg Whites 2% Cheddar Shreds Low Fat Mozzarella Shreds 2% Cottage Cheese Nonfat Greek Yogurt Plain At first: frozen veg & canned green beans, then later switched to fresh and cooked al dente. But by that time, most of the meat lube had gone away.

You may want to also come join us for our online weekly support meetings face-to-face. It's a great group of people who really help you work through your struggles and help you do the head work. And we have great ideas for getting back to basics. PM me if you want the deets. (It's in addition to getting back here to BP and staying active and engaged.) We will always be pre-disposed for regain because of our disease. WLS only puts that disease into remission. After that remission is determined by our gut/head/fork. (hugs) Sorry, but it's true for the largest majority of people in this world. Only a short few are blessed to never have to revisit the risk of regain. But I've seen SO MANY tackle their regain (100+lbs) of it and be victorious by strapping on the brass balls, rollin up their sleeves and getting back to basics!! It can be done. You guys can do it! @catwoman7 is living proof and so many others like @healthy_life2 (not tagging for some reason).